Willow stripper



M. J. TOPP AND W. G. MILEER.

WILLOW STRIPPER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25. 191s.

Patent-ed Nov. 7, 1922..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. J. TOPP AND W. G. MILLER.

WILLOW STRIPPER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25, 1918.

1,434,461 Patented MW. 7, 1922.

Eda- Z 3 3 SHEE1SSHEET 3- L25 @0 W 9 W WW A? o w 7 v j Patented Nov, 7, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE,

MAURICE J. TOPP, OFMANLIU'S, AND WILBUR G. MILLER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

wrLnow STRIPPER.

Application filed April 25, 1918. Serial No. 230,664.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, MAURIon J Torr and VVILBUR G. MILLER, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Manlius and Syracuse, respectively, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Imarovements in Willow Stri) ers' of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a'full, clear, and

exact description.

This invention relatestocertain improvementsin' willow stripping machines, involving the use of a gripping device/and a strip ping device, one of which devices is" movable ner that it will grip the butt of the willow,

draw it endwise through the stripping device and lay the successively sti"i1')pecl"willows in parallelism with their butt ends pointing in the same direction.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the machine Will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings- Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively a top plan and a side elevation of a willow stripping machine embodying the features of our invention;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 3-3, Figure 1.

Figure l is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 4t---4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional. view of a portion of the machine taken on line 5-5, Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view, partly broken away, of the upper rear portion of the machine taken on line G6, Figure 2.

Figures '7 and S are detail'sectional views taken, respectively, in the planes of lines 7-7 and 88, Figure 5.

Figure 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 99, Figure 2.

Figure 10 is a top plan of themain portions ot'the cam levers of the gripping device.

As illustrated, this machine comprises a heater for loosening the bark on the butt end of the willow as the latter is fed thereintoby hand and which may also serve as a supplemental stripping device; a main stripping device for positively removing the bark; a gripping device for engaging the butt end of the willow and drawing it through the stripping device, and an oscillatory carrier for actuating the gripping device and also for laying the stripped willows in parallelism with their butt ends pointing in'the same direction.

The indivdual willows are fed by hand, butt end foremost, through the supplemental stripper or beater where the bark on the butt end is at least loosened, the hand feed of the willow continuing until its butt end enters the main stripping, deviceand is in position to be engaged by the gripper which then automatically carries the willow forwardly through the stripping device, thereby removing the bark therefrom and releasing the stripped willow, whereupon the gripping device returns to repeat the operation upon the next succeeding willow.

The major portion of the machine is mounted upon a suitable supporting frame consisting, in this instance, of a pair of spaced upright standards having their lower endssecured to a suitable floor plate or base, andtheir upper ends connected by a yoke '3 having a rearwardly extending bracket -,4, the power device being mounted upon a separate frame consisting, in this'instance, of a pair of spaced upright standards 5- having their lowerends secured to a suitable floor plate or base 6, as-shown more clearly in Figures 1 and 2.

Supplemental stripper 0r beater.

This supplemental stripper or heater comprises a plurality of, in this instance four, steel brushes -7 mounted upon separate parallel shafts -8 which are journaled in the end walls of a suitable casing or housing 9 and are provided with intermeshing gears --lO-.

Theshafts 8- are arranged symmetrically about a common center or axis, preferably at the four corners of a square, the brushes at diagonally opposite corners of the square constituting separate pairs hav= ing the peripheries of their steel bristles traveling close to each other at the center of said square so as to cause the brushes to exert a beating contact with the entire periphery of the portion of the willow which may be registered therewith it is being fed by hand to the main stripping and gripping devices.

By arranging the brushes and their sup porting shafts and gears in the manner described leaves a clear open space between the peripheries of the gears through which the willows may be fed byhand, butt end foremost, across and between the peripheries of the brushes which produces the effect of loosening the bark preparatory to removing by the main stripping jaws. hereinafter described, the individual willows being guided through suitable openings -11- and -l2 centrally in the opposite end walls of the case or housing -9-, said openings serving to guide the willow in its transit through the supplemental stripping device, and also to register its butt end with the main stripping device and grippers, the opening l2 being preferably elongated by means of a tube -13- to further facilitate the guiding of the willow By guiding the willow in the manner just described as it is forced by hand through the supplemental stripping device prevents the contact of said willow with the teeth of the gears 10-, while the rotation of the brushes in the direction indicated by arrows, Figure 8, causes them to act with opposing forces upon the periphery of the willow which tends to hold the willow against turning while it is being fed between the brushes and facilitates greatly the freedom of feed of the willow through the supplemental stripper to the main stripping device.

In some instances, as in the treatment of willows with comparatively thin or light bark, these brushes may be used exclusively for the removal of the bark independently of the main stripping device, but where the bark is rather thick and tough, the rotary beating operation of the brushes upon the periphery of the bark tends to loosen the same and assures the complete removal of the bark by the main stripping device, and to this extent the supplemental stripper becomes a desirable adjunct to the machine.

011 the other hand, if the bark of the willows is still green and reasonably soft, it may be readily removed by the main stripping device, thus permitting the supplemental stripping device to be dispensed with and, therefore, we do not wish to limit our invention to the use of the supplemental stripper or beater.

When the supplemental stripper or heater is used, it be driven by an electric motor -14i through the medium of a belt 15- or by any other equivalent driving means.

Main stripping ale vice.

As the willows are fed by hand through the guides, as previeusly described, the butt end thereof enters between a pair of opposed Vshape jaws 16- and --17 arranged to form an opening -.i8 into which the butt end of the willow is fed, one of the jaws, as i6, being rigidly secured to the yoke -3- near the center of the lower edge thereof, as shown more clearly in Figure 7, the other jaw 17 being secured to a bracket -19- on a vertically movable rock arm 20- which is pivoted at 21 to the yoke 3 so as to move the jaw 17- toward and from the 16, and thereby cause the meeting faces of said jaws to impinge against the periphery of the willow for removing the bark therefrom as said willow is drawn endwise through the aws in a manner presently described.

The faces of the aws are preferably covered with yielding stripper plates 22-- of rubber or equivalent material capable of frictionally engaging and stripping the bark from the wood when the aws are brought to their pressing positions without liability of mutilating such wood when the willow is drawn endwise between the aws, the stripping plates of each jaw being disposed at substantially right angles to each other and in vertical planes side by side so that each side of each will be disposed in the same vertical plane as and cooperate with the corresponding side of the other jaw, the opening between the jaws being normally rectangular or substantially square when open so as to engage a maximum area of the periphery of the adjacent portion of the willow, which area is somewhat increased by the yielding of the stripping plates of the jaws when brought into pressing engagement with the willow, thereby stripping the entire bark from the wood as the willow is drawn through the jaws.

The means for operating the upper movable jaw -17- consists in addition to the lever 20- a bell-crank lever-23, Figures 7 and 8, said bell-crank lever being pivoted at -24- to the yoke 3- and has one arm thereof provided with a roller 25 for engaging the under side of the lever -20 and its other arm connected by a link 26 to a pedal lever 27.

This pedal lever is fulcrumed at -28 to the floor plate or base 2 and is connected to the standard 1 by a retract ing spring 29 which normally raises the free end of the pedal lever -27 to release the bell-crank lever --23- and allow the free end of. the lever 20-- to be rocked downwardly by means of a link 30- and a retracting spring 251 which in turn is connected to an adjustable screw -32 by which the tension of the spring may be ad justed to operate the lever -20- for closing the upper jaw upon the willow with the desired degree of pressure.

The link 30 connects the upper end of the spring 31 with tliefree end of ti o lever 20--, the latter being guided in its vertical movement between a guide bar -32- and the adjacent face of the yoke --3- to which the guide bar is secured. as shown more clearly in Figures 6, 7 and 8.

Mooui) Ze abutment".

in order that the butt end of the willow may be fed between the jaws a distance ust suificient to allow it to be gripped by the gripping device, presently described, wile the stripping jaws are still. open preparatory to closing the jaws and drawing the willow between the same for stripping the bark therefrom we have provided a vertically movable stop lever 38. fulcruimwi at -34 to the rear side of the yoke 23-- and having one end formed with an abut:-

ment -35 -movable across and a short distance to the rear of the opening -18- between the jaws into and out of the path of the butt end of the willow as the latte is forced hetwcen'the stripping jaws, the opposite end of said lever being connected by a link 36- to the spring 3'i-. as shown in Figure 2, so that the same spring may serve to simultaneously close the upper stripping jaw upon the willow and open or raise the abutment 35- out of the path of movement of the willow. whereupon the gripping device, presently described. may be brought into engagement with the butt end of the willow and. operated to draw said willow through the stripping device for removing the bark therefrom.

Gripping CZGI'iCG.

Themeans for gripping the butt ends of the willows and drawing the latter through the stripping device comprises a pair of opposed reversely arranged cam levers;

37- disposed in the same horizontal plane at opposite sides of, but in proximity to, the path of movement of the willow as it is passed between the stripping jaws and but in'close proximity to, the limiting stop so as to engage the or abutment 35 willow as near the butt end thereof as possible after the latter has been forced against the abutment.

The outer ends of the levers -37 are connected by forwardly projecting links 40- to a longitudinally movable plate or cross head 4Ei' which is Slidably mounted in the frame -4;2 and has its forward end connected by links -t to a rocking carrier l l, as shown more clearly in Figure 5, the frame --42 being connected by link -45 to a longitudi nally extending bar -46- forming a part of the same carrier.

The link 43- is rigidly secured at two points -l7 and -4S- to the carrier -4A-, while the link -4i5- ispivotally connected at 49 and 50- to the frame 42- and bar t6-. respectively, and together with the frame -t2-- is springpressed rearwardly by a coil spring --5] Figure It is new apparent that the links -4-3- and l5 constitute the only means of and s'u 'iport for the sliding plate 4;i its supporting frame 42 and that if some means is provided for temporarily detaining the forward movement ofthe frame t2' while the carrier 4teland plate 4tlattached thereto is being moved forwardly, the cam levers 37 will be operated to approximately the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 6 to cause the biting nibs -89 to engage the opposite side of the butt end of the willow, and

that if then the'frame 42 released it, together with the plate -t1, will be carried forwardly to draw the willow through the stripping device for removing the bark therefrom, and for this purpose we have provided the upper portion of the frame 4 .2 with the rearwardly projecting spring arms 52 in sufficiently spacedr'elation'transversely toreceive between them a stationary detent --58 which is secured to and extends forwardly and downwardly from the central portlon of the yoke 3, as shown m'ore clearly in Figures Z3 and 7, said arms being united at their bases by an abutment 5l cooperating with the detent to limit the return movement of the' carrier to its normal position shown in the drawings.

The free ends of the spring arms -52 are preferably flared laterally, but thep'on' tions of the springs adjacent the bases of .the flaring portions are provided with inturned shoulders spaced less dist ance than the diameter of the detent -53 i 4lfor drawing it forward is suflicient to overcome the tension of the spring arms tending to hold the plate against forward movement.

It is evident, however, that the movement of the frame 42 rearwardly would also effect the closing action of the biting nibs -39 upon the willow, the spring -51- being employed to produce this effect after the spring arms -52- have been withdrawn from the detent 53 during the continued forward movement of the carrier 4 l so as to maintain the grip of the nibs -39 upon the willow during the stripping operation.

Garm'er.

The carrier for operating the gripping device to draw the willow through the strip ping device consists primarily of a circular drum -56 centrally journaled at 7 upon and between the standards land provided with a substantially semi-circular peripheral section 58 channeled in cross section to receive and retain the willow therein as the latter is drawn through the stripping mechanism, the peripheral. length of the channeled section being somewhat greater than the maximum length of any willow operated upon so that it may be used for stripping willows of any length.

This channeled section -58-- normally extends from a point in the periphery of the drum near the top or approximately in transverse alignment of the standards 1- rearwardly and downwardly to approximately the diametrically opposite point in said periphery, suitable means being provided for rotating the drum through substantially a half revolution and return to complete the cycle of movement for the stripping of a single willow although it is evident that any number 01 these devices may be arranged side by side and to operate simultaneously or individually if desired without departing from the spirit of this invention.

The means for operating the drum 56 consists of a grooved pulley -59- secured to the shaft -57 at one end of the drum and suitable cables. as --6O wound entirely around the periphery of the pulley and having their ends extended in opposite directions tangentially to the lower side thereof and attached to adjustable bolts 61- which are adjustably mounted in a sliding yoke 62 of a pitman -63-.

One end of the pitman -63- is adjustably connected to a crank arm -64iof a driving shaft -65- which in turn is connected by means of sprocket wheels -66 and a belt 67-- to the power-driven shaft -68-- having a pulley or hand wheel 69- adapted to be connected to any available source of power, not shown.

The yolres 62 are movable endwise against the action of coil springs 70 which are interposed between them and suitable collars -71- on the pitman 63 to assure the full movement of the drum 56 from one extreme position to the other return without liability of overstraining any part of the operating mechanism, the springs 70 serving to compensate for any excess movement of the pitman in either direction beyond that which. is necessary to eil'ect movement of the drum between the limits referred to.

It is evident, however, that this movement of the drum may be closely regulated by the adjustment of the pitman in the slotted crank arm --64- provided for that purpose.

At the end of movement of the drum 56- following the stripping operation of one oi? the willows a pair of forwardly projecting spring arms 52-, similar to the springs 5Q and which are mounted upon the same abutment -F--l-, are brought into engagement with stop pin 53'- similar to the detent -53-, except that it is mounted upon the inner end of the pedal lever 27 and cooperates with the abutment 54 to limit the movement of the drum from its normal position to approximately a half revolution. the arms being also provided with inturned shoulders -55 :0 frictionally engage the pin -53'- at the beginning of the return movement of the carrier and thereby cause the frame 42- to lag or rather to be temporarily held against return movement sufiiciently to open the gripping jaws 89- for releasing the low and allowing it to fall from the channeled section 58- of the drum on to the floor or underlying support so that the successively stripped willows will be stacked in parallelism with their butt ends lying pointing in the same direction and approximately in the same transverse vertical plane.

The relative lengthwise movement of the plate --l1- and frame --4i2- is limited by an adjustable stop screw which is mounted on the inner end of the plate r1 and adapted to engage the inner edge of the upper portion of the frame 42 as shown more clearly by dotted lines in Figure 6.

The pitman -63 is guided in its endwise movement substantially tangential to the periphery of the pulley -59 by means of a grooved roller -76- which is supported on the studs --7'7 on one of the upright standards 1, as shown in Figure 9.

In operation, assuming that the pedal lever -27- is released and elevated by its spring 29-, in which case the bell-crank lever Q3 will be similarly released from engagement with the lever -20 through the medium of the link --26 allowing the. spring -31 to close the upper stripping jaw .17 and to raise the abutment 35, thus allowing the gripping jaws 39 to pass 'irder said abutment as the drum assumes its starting position shown in Figures 1 and 2. I

At this time the pedal lever 27 is depressed to open the stripping jaw --17- and to simultaneously drop the abutment 35- to its operative position, whereupon a willow is inserted by hand, butt end foremost. between the beater brushes +7?- and through the guides 1l-, --1l and l; and thence between the stripping jaws 1(3-,- and -'i7-- until its forward end abuts against the abutment this "forward advancing oi the willow by hand being accomplished while the crank arm --,($4l 'is passing the dead center.

lhe upper side or the drum then begins to advance forward which causes the gripping members -39 to grip opposite sides of the butt end of the willow by reason of the lag of the frame +42%, due to the engagement of the spring arms 52 with its fixed detent -53- and to the forward draft ofthe link l3 upon the plate -41- which holds the gripping members in en-,.

gagement with the butt end of the willow and draws the latter between the stripping jaws -l6- and -17 until the willow is stripped from end to end, the movement of the drum with the willow thereon continuing until the spring arms 52 and abut: ment 55 havecncountered the stop pin -53' on the pedal lever -27,- which occurs at about the same time thatthe crank arm '6&'-- has completed a half revolution, it being understood that this rocking motion is imparted tothe drum by the cables -60- around the pulley 59-;- and "the tangential movement ofthe pitman --.63 to which the cables are yieldingly connected through the medium of the springs and sliding cross heads 62--.

Now, immediately following this opera tion of the drum through substantially a half revolution, as limited by the engagement of the abutment 5 l with the stops -53 and just at the beginning of the return movement Oif the drum, the spring arms -52-- which frictionally engage the pin --53-- cause a slight lagging of the frame l2 suilicient to open the gripping jaws 3$) and to allow the willow to drop therefrom, whereupon the drum continues to return to its startingposition 'until limited by the engagement of the abutment -5 lwith the deteut -5S which assures the complete opening oi. the jaws ready to receive the butt end of another willow for a repetition of the operation just described.

What we claim is:

1. In a willow stripping machine, a carrier movable about a horizontal axis, a stripping device through which the willow is tedendwise butt-end first and provided with opposed willow engaging faces tangential to the are of movement of the carrier, a gripping device in advance of the stripping device engaging the butt-end of the willow, a support for the gripping device movable in the direction of feed of the willow and carried by the carrier, a slide on said support also movable in the direction of feed of the willow, means actuated by said carrier for moving the slide along said support away from the stripping device, means actuated by the last named movement of the slide for closing the gripping device upon the buttend of the willow.

In a willow stripping machine, the combination of a stripping device through which the willows are fed endwise butt-end first, a carrier movable in the dir ction of feed of the willows, grippingejaws in advance of the stripping device for engaging the butt-end of the willows, a support for the gripping-jaws carried and supported only by the carrier, a slide movable along and upon said support, connections between the carrier and slide for moving the latter along said support, means actuated by the slide for closing the jaws upon the willow, and connections between the slide and its support for moving the latter therewith after the jaws have been closed upon the willow.

3.1m a willow stripping machine, the combination of a stripping device through which the willow is fed endwise butt-end foremost, a carrier movable in the arc of a circle in the direction of feed of the willow, said stripping device having opposed jaws extending tangentially to the arc of movementof the carrier, a plate supported by and movable with the carrier, gripping jaws pivoted to said plate to move therewith and adapted to receive the butt-end of the willow betweenithem after being inserted through the stripping device, a slide movable lengthwise .of and upon the plate, connections between the slide and carrier for moving said slide relatively to the plate and away from the stripping device as the carrier is moved forwardly and connections between said slide and gripping jaws for closing the latter upon the butt-end of the willow during said relative movement.

at. In a willow stripping machine, the combination of a stripping devicethrough which the willows are inserted endwise buttend foremost, a carrier movable beneath the stripping device in the direction of movement of the willow, gripping-jaws in advance oi the stripping device for engaging the butt-end of said willow, a support for. said jaws, yielding connections between said support and carrier to allow a limited forward movement of the carrier relatively to the support, a slide movable lengthwise o! and upon thesupport, connections between the carrier and slide for moving the latter forwardly relatively to the support, means actuated by the slide for closing the gripping-jaws upon the willow, and connections between said slide and its support for moving them both together with the carrier after the gripping-j aws have been closed upon the willow.

5. In a willow stripping machine, the

combination of a stripping device through which the willows are fed endwise butt-end foremost, a carrier movable in the direction of feed of the willow, gripping-jaws in advance of the stripping device for engaging the butt-end of the willow, a support for said gripping-jaws carried by and movable in the direction of movement of the carrier, a fixed support, an abutment mounted on the fixed support and movable to and from a position across the path of movement of the willow as the latter is fed through the stripping device to limit the movement of said willow through the stripping device preparatory to engagement by the grippingjaws of the butt-end or" the willow, a slide movable lengthwise c1 and upon the firstnamed support, means actuated by the carrier for moving the slide in advance of the movement of the support, means actuated by this last naried movement of the slide for closing the gripping-j aws upon the butt-end of the willow and thereby to cause the support to move with the slide and carrier for drawing the willow through the stripping device.

6. In a willow stripping machine, the combination of a stripping device through which the willows are fed endwise with their butt-ends foremost, a carrier movable in the direction of feed of the willow through the stripping device, a fixed support, an abutment mounted on the fixed support and movable into and out of the path of movement of the willow as it is fed through the stripping device for limiting said movement, gripping-jaws between the abutment and stripping device for engaging the butt-end of the willow, a support for said grippingjaws carried by and movable in the direction of movement of the carrier, yielding connections between the second named sup port and carrierto allow the latter to move a limited distance relatively to said second namedsupport, a slide movable lengthwise of and upon the second named support, connections between the slide and carrier for causing said slide to move with the carrier relatively to said second named support, means actuated by the slide along the second named support for closing the grippingjaws upon the willow and thereby to cause the second named support to move with the slide and carrier.

7 In a willow stripping machine, a

stripping device into which the willows are fed endwise with their butt-ends foremost, said stripping device having means for engaging an appreciable portion of the length of the willow, a carrier movable in an are about a horizontal axis beneath the stripping device in the direction of feed of the willows, gripping-jaws in advance ot the stripping device for engaging the butt-end of the willow, a support for the grippingjaws supported and carried by the carrier, a slide movable lengthwise of and upon the support, connections between the slide and carrier to cause the slide to move therewith relatively to the support, means actuated by the last named movement of the slide for closing the jaws upon the willow and thereby to cause the support to move with the carrier and slide, and means for temporarily restraining the forward movement of the support as the slide is moved to close the J. jaws upon the Willow.

8. In a willow stripping machine, the combination of a carrier movable in an are about a horizontal axis, a relatively stationary frame-bar extending transversely of the direction of movement of the carrier, stripping-jaws mounted on the frame-bar and having their willow-engaging-faces elongated in the direction of movement of and tangential to said carrier for engaging an appreciable length of the willow which is fed endwise therethrough with its butt-end foremost, means for moving the carrier in the direction of movement of the willow through the stripping device, gripping-j aws in advance of the stripping device for receiving between them the butt-end of the willow, a support for said gripping-jaws carried and supported by the carrier, yielding connections between said support and carrier, and connections between the carrier and said gripping-jaws for closing the latter upon the butt-end of the willow in advance of the movement of said support with the carrier and for causing said support to move with the carrier immediately upon the 010s ing of the jaws upon the willow.

9. In a willow stripping machine, the combination of a stripping device through which the willows are fed endwise with their butt-ends foremost, an abutment a short distance in advance of the stripping device for lnniting the initial movement of the willow through said device, means for moving the abutment out of the path of the willow, a carrier movable beneath the stripping device and stop or abutment, grippingjaws in advance of the stripping device for engaging the butt-end oi the willow apart between the abutment and stripping device, a support for said gripping jaws, a slide movable'lengthwise of and upon the support, means actuated by the carrier for moving the slide forwardly in advance of the move ment of said support, means actuated by the slide for closing the jaws upon the willow and thereby to move the support with the carrier as the latter is moved forwardly.

10. In a willow stripping machine, a carrier movable about a horizontal axis and provided with a concentric bearing-face for the willow, a frame-bar extending across the periphery on and above the carrier, a stripping device mounted on said frame-bar directly over the peripheral bearing-ace of thecarrier, gripping-jaws for engaging the butt-end or the WlllOW, means actuated by the carrier for closing the gripping-jaws upon the willow and drawing the same through the stripping device and upon the peripheral bearing-face of the carrier, means for moving the carrier through an arc of suiiicient length to reverse the willow end for end, and means for automatically disengaging the jaws from the willow at the end or said arc of movement of the carrier.

11. In a willow stripping machine, the combination of a carrier movable about a horizontal axis and provided with a peripheral. bearing-face for the willow, stripping-jaws supported directly over the top of the carrier and engaging a perceptible portion of the length of the willow along straight lines tangential to the periphery of said carrier, a plate yieldingly mounted on the carrier in advance of the stripping jaws, gripping-jaws pivotally mount ed upon said plate to grip the butt end of the willow, and means actuated by the carrier for closing the gripping-jaws upon the willow and drawing the latter through the stripping device as the carrier is rotated about its axis, means for rotating the carrier through a predetermined arc. and means for. releasing the jaws from engagement with the willow at the end of movement of the carrier through said arc.

12. In a willow stripping machine, the combination of a carrier movable about a horizontal axis and provided with a peripheral bearing-face for the willow, means for rotating the carrier through a predetermined arc of movement, a stripping device supported above and in close proximity to said periphery or bearing-face and engaging a perceptible portion of the length of the willow along straight lines tangential to said bearing-"face, and means actuated by said. carrier for engaging and drawing the willow through the stripping device around and upon the periphery of the carrier, and means for causing the willow to be released from its gripping means at the end of the arc of movement of the carrier.

13. In a willow stripping machine, the combination of a carrier movable about a horizontal axis and provided with a peripheral bearing-face for the willow, a stripping device supported above and in close proximity to said bearing-faceand engaging a perceptible portion of the length of the willow along straight lines tangential to said bearing-face, grippingjaws in advance of the stripping device, a support for said jaws carried and supported by the carrier, a slide mounted on said support and operatively connected to the carrierto move therewith in advance of the movement said support, connections between said slide and gripping-jaws for closing the latter upon the willow as the carrier is moved forwardly,

and yielding connections between the support and the carrier to cause the support to more with the carrier after the grippingjaws have been tightened upon the willow.

14. In a willow-stripping machine, the combination of a stripping device, a gripping device for engaging the end of the willow and drawing it through the stripping device, an oscillatory carrier for the gripping device, and means for actuating the carrier including a pulley, a pitman and a cable wound around the pulley and having its ends attached to the pitman.

15. In a willow-stripping machine, the combination of a stripping device, a gripping device for engaging the end of the willow and drawing it through the stripping device, an oscillatory carrier for the gripping device, means for actuating the carrier including a pulley, a pitman and a cable wound around the pulley and having its ends attached to the pitman, and yielding connections between the pitman and cable;

16. In a willow stripping machine, the combination of a pair of opposed V-shaped stripping jaws having their open sides facing each other for receiving a willow between them and engaging a perceptible portion of its length along straight lines, spring actuated means for moving one of the jaws toward the other to cause the jaws to frictionally engage the periphery of the willow under yielding pressure, and means for drawing a willow from between the jaws and gradually deflecting it from said straight lines as it is drawn through the jaws to buckle the bark and thereby assist the jaws in stripping said bark from the willow.

17. In a willow stripping machine, the combination of a pair of opposed V-shaped stripping jaws having their open sides facing each other for receiving a willow between them, and engaging a perceptible portion of its length along straight lines, spring actuated means for moving one of the jaws toward the other to cause the jaws to frictionally engage the periphery of the willow under yielding pressure, and means for drawing a willow from between the jaws and gradually deflecting it from said straight lines as it is drawn through the jaws to buckle the bark and thereby assist the aws iii-stripping said bark from the willow, and means operable at will for moving the jaw closing means against the action of the spring to open the movable jaw to permit a willow to be inserted between the jaws.

18. In a willow stripping machine, the combination of a drum rotatable about an axis and having a circular bearing face for draw the willow endwise through the stripping device.

19. In a willow stripping machine, the combination of a drum rotatable about an iris and having a concentric bearing face or the willow, a stripping device engaging a perceptible portion of the willow along straight lines substantially tangential to the concentric bearing face, means for rotating the drum first in one direction and then in opposite direction from and to a normal position of rest, means for automatically causing the gripping jaws to open when the drum is returned to its normal position, and for causing the gripping aws to close upon the willow when the drum is moved from its normal position.

in witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 15th day of April, 1918.

MAURICE J. TOPP. WILBUR G. MILLER.

Nitnesses:

H. E. CHASE, ALICE M. CANNON. 

